Nanomaterials for Energy

Monday June 18, 2012, 9:00 am - 5:00 pm, Santa Clara, California

Justification

There has been a tremendous increase in the use of nanomaterials (NMs) to improve the existing energy systems including conventional and renewable energy sources. It is important to know the possibilities as well as limitations of the use of nano materials in providing solutions for energy issues that face current and future generations. The NSTI conference is a good venue for providing a full-day tutorial to the attendees coming from different backgrounds and disciplines. This course is a must for all beginners and experts interested in rapidly growing applications of nano materials for energy.

Course Description

This introductory course provides details of a variety of nanomaterials used for energy production, storage, transmission and conservation. Synthesis, characterization, application and toxicity of nanomaterials used for energy sources such as solar cells, fuel cells, supercapacitors and batteries will be the main focus of this course. Examples of carbon nanostructures (fullerenes, carbon nanotubes and graphene) and metal oxides (ZnO and TiO2) will be provided. Life cycle assessment of these NMs as well as the Environmental, health and safety considerations will be discussed.

Course Outline

Lecture 1: Introduction to Nanomaterials (1 hour)

Introduction

Synthesis

Characterization

Surface Properties

Mechanical Properties

Lecture 2: Novel Properties of NMs (1 hour)

Optical Properties

Electrical Properties

Thermal Properties

Lecture 3: NMs for Energy Production (1 hour)

Conventional energy sources

Renewable energy sources

Solar cells

Fuel cells

Lecture 4: NMs for Energy Storage (1 hour)

Hydrogen storage

Batteries

Supercapacitors

Lecture 5: NMs for Energy Transmission and Conservation (1 hour)

Smart Grids and Control

Energy-Efficient Transportation

Zero energy buildings

Lecture 6: Environmental, Safety and Health Aspects of NMs (1 hour)

Environmental contamination and toxicology

Life cycle assessment and green energy

Hazard Analysis and Safety Procedures

Course Instructor

Prof. Sivaram Arepalli joined the department of Energy Science at Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU) in Suwon, Korea in March 2009 under the World Class University project. Prior to that, he was the Chief Scientist of the Applied Nanotechnology Program at NASA-Johnson Space Center where he worked for 21 years. His current interests include synthesis and processing of nanomaterials for energy applications such as fuel cells, solar cells, batteries and supercapacitors. His group also works on nanocomposites for aerospace structures, environmental sensors and bio-implants.

Prof. Arepalli received his Ph.D. in Physics from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur in 1979. He finished postdoctoral work at the University of Pennsylvania, Cornell and the University of Illinois at Chicago prior to joining Lockheed Martin at Houston in 1987. He developed the laser laboratory to support aerothermal fluid flow analysis for thermal protection material development at NASA-JSC. In 1997, he initiated the carbon nanotube project at NASA by starting nanotube production using a double pulse laser oven process. His activities were focused on nanomaterials, including the production, processing, and application of carbon nanotubes for aerospace requirements. He was responsible for improving understanding of the nanotube growth mechanisms. He helped ANSI and ISO to establish standards for nanomaterials and carbon nanotubes.

Prof. Arepalli is an Associate Fellow of AIAA and a Senior Member of APS. He was nominated in 1999 for the “Rotary Stellar Award for Space” for his contributions to the development of “Glow-gas” for leak detection in MIR space station. He was the recipient of the “Chairman's Award for 1998” from G. B. Tech., Inc. and “President’s Award for 2005”, from Jacobs Technology for his support of NASA-JSC. In 2007, he received “Rotary National Space Achievement Award” for the accomplishments of the Carbon Nanotube Team. He received the “Nanocarbon 2008 Award” from the Carbon Society of Japan in 2008 for his contributions in the advancement of carbon nanotubes. Sivaram has more than 90 publications and 40 invited talks related to nanotechnology. He conducted several Nanotechnology based workshops and conferences. In 2009, he organized the first International Green Energy Nanocarbon Conference. He currently serves as an associate editor for the “Journal of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology” (JNN) and as editor-in-chief for the “Journal of Nano Energy and Power Research” (JNEPR).